Walk-In Tub Door Assembly

ABSTRACT

A walk-in tub includes a tub frame having a door frame provided in one or more of the walls of the tub frame. The tub further includes a door hingedly connected to the door frame and adapted for movement between an open position into the interior cavity of the tub and a closed position aligned with the door frame. A sealing face is provided on the door frame facing the interior cavity of the tub. A seal is disposed around a perimeter of the door for sealing the door against the sealing face when the door is in the closed position. A latching mechanism on the door is operable between a latching position and an unlatching position and includes a slidable latching pin that is slidable to engage a pin receiver in the latching position when the door is locked and disengage from the pin receiver in the unlatching position when the door is unlocked.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61/755,668, filed Jan. 23, 2013, entitled “Walk-In Tub DoorAssembly” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/756,698, filedJan. 25, 2013, entitled “Walk-In Tub Door Assembly”, the disclosures ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates generally to walk-in tubs. Moreparticularly, the present disclosure relates to a walk-in tub doorassembly and a latching and sealing mechanism for use with the walk-intub door assembly.

2. Description of the Related Art

Walk-in tubs generally have a tub portion with at least one doorwayprovided on a side of the tub. The doorway may be closed by a door thatswings either into the interior of the tub portion or away from the sideof the tub. In an open position, the door enables a user to walk intothe tub without having to step over the side of the tub, which is thecase with conventional tubs. In a closed position, the door encloses thetub portion so that it may be filled with water. A seal is provided atan interface between the door and the doorway to prevent water fromleaking through the doorway when the tub portion is filled with water.

In order to facilitate ingress to the tub and egress from the tub, aswell as to provide a seal for preventing water from escaping from thetub, a variety of walk-in tub door designs have been developed. UnitedStates Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0156120 to Luo disclosesa walk-in tub having a waterproof door and a sealing mechanism. The tubincludes a frame having a door jamb. A door is hingedly attached to thedoor jamb and a handle is rotatably mounted to the door for selectivelyactivating and deactivating a locking mechanism having a sliding pin. Inone position, the pin is retracted within the door to allow the door tobe swung open for easy access to the tub. In a second position, the pinis extended into an opening on the door jamb for locking the door in aclosed position. A compressible gasket is provided on the door to sealthe door against the tub. The door is adapted for opening away from thetub interior. This design complicates the sealing between the tub andthe door because the water inside the tub has the tendency to push thedoor away from the sealed position.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,935 to Barrett, Sr. discloses a deep bathtub with aside entrance door. The entrance door is supported on the bathtub and isslidable to allow ingress and egress to and from the bathtub. Thebathtub includes a sidewall that abuts against the door in a closedposition to limit the movement of the door. A seal is provided at thesidewall for defining a watertight connection between the door and thebathtub. A plurality of latch arms is provided for locking the door in aclosed position when control handle is actuated.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,241 to Williams discloses a bathtub having a sidedoor for easy access. A double-axis hinge swingably supports the door onthe bathtub. The door includes a locking mechanism having a plurality ofpins that are reversibly extendable from the door to engage acorresponding opening on the door jamb.

Even though a plurality of solutions exists for a walk-in tub doorassembly, the existing designs are complicated, expensive tomanufacture, and do not provide an effective seal to prevent water fromescaping from the tub. In addition, conventional walk-in tub doordesigns are complicated to latch and unlatch. In view of the foregoing,a need exists for an improved walk-in tub door assembly that overcomesthe deficiencies of the existing designs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, a door assembly for a walk-in tub may include a doorhaving a first portion and a second portion defining a cavitytherebetween. The door may be adapted for movement between an openposition opening into an interior cavity of the walk-in tub and a closedposition. A hinge may be provided for hingedly connecting the door tothe walk-in tub. The hinge may be adapted for moving the door betweenthe open position and the closed position. A seal may be disposed arounda perimeter of the door for sealing the door against the walk-in tubwhen the door is in the closed position. The door assembly may furtherinclude a latching mechanism disposed between the first portion and thesecond portion of the door. The latching mechanism may be operablebetween a latching position and an unlatching position.

In accordance with another embodiment, the latching mechanism mayinclude at least one latching pin that is slidable to engage acorresponding pin receiver in the latching position and disengage fromthe pin receiver in the unlatching position. The latching pin may have atapered end for partially engaging the pin receiver when the door in apartially closed position to draw the door to the closed position byfully engaging the pin receiver. The latching mechanism may furtherinclude a handle operative for moving the latching mechanism between thelatching position and the unlatching position. The handle may berotatably connected to the latching mechanism by one or more rods.Rotational movement of the handle may cause a substantially linearmovement of the rods. The rods may actuate the latching pin to movebetween the latching position and the unlatching position. The seal mayinclude a first portion connected to the door and a second portionextending away from the door, the second portion having a plurality ofhollow cavities that are compressible when the door is in the closedposition.

In accordance with another embodiment, a walk-in tub may include a tubframe having a plurality of walls extending from a floor to define aninterior cavity of the tub. The tub may include a door frame provided inone or more of the walls. The door frame may be adapted for providing adoorway for ingress into the interior cavity of the tub and egress fromthe interior cavity of the tub. A sealing face may be provided on thedoor frame to face the interior cavity of the tub. The tub may furtherinclude a door having a first portion and a second portion defining acavity therebetween. The door may be adapted for movement between anopen position away from the door frame and into the interior cavity ofthe tub and a closed position toward the door frame and away from theinterior cavity of the tub. In one embodiment, the tub may furtherinclude a hinge for hingedly connecting the door to the doorway. Thehinge may be adapted for moving the door between the open position andthe closed position. A seal may be disposed around a perimeter of thedoor for sealing the door against the sealing face when the door is inthe closed position.

In yet another embodiment, the tub may include a latching mechanismdisposed between the first portion and the second portion of the door.The latching mechanism may be operable between a latching position andan unlatching position. The latching mechanism may include at least onelatching pin that is slidable to engage a corresponding pin receiver inthe latching position and disengage from the pin receiver in theunlatching position. The pin receiver may be provided on the door andthe door frame. The latching pin may have a tapered end for partiallyengaging the pin receiver when the door in a partially closed positionto draw the door to the closed position by fully engaging the pinreceiver. The latching mechanism may further include a handle operativefor moving the latching mechanism between the latching position and theunlatching position. The handle may be rotatably connected to thelatching mechanism by one or more rods. Rotational movement of thehandle may cause a substantially linear movement of the rods. The rodsmay actuate the latching pin between the latching position and theunlatching position. In another embodiment, the seal may include a firstportion connected to the door and a second portion extending away fromthe door, the second portion having a plurality of hollow cavities thatare compressible when the door is in the closed position.

These and other features and characteristics of the walk-in tub doorassembly, as well as the methods of operation and functions of therelated elements of structures and the combination of parts andeconomies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon considerationof the following description and the appended claims with reference tothe accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of thisspecification, wherein like reference numerals designate correspondingparts in the various figures. It is to be expressly understood, however,that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and descriptiononly and are not intended as a definition of the limits of theinvention. As used in the specification and the claims, the singularform of “a”, “an”, and “_(t)he” include plural referents unless thecontext clearly dictates otherwise.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a walk-in tub with a door assemblyin accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the walk-in tub illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the walk-in tub illustrated in FIG. 1 showingthe door assembly in a closed position;

FIG. 4 is top view of the walk-in tub illustrated in FIG. 1 showing thedoor assembly in an open position;

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a front panel of the walk-in tubillustrated in FIG. 1,

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the panel shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a partially exploded perspective view of a walk-in tub doorassembly for use with the walk-in tub illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a detailed view of a latching mechanism for the walk-in tubdoor assembly shown in FIG. 7 in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a latching mechanism for a walk-in tubdoor assembly shown in accordance with another embodiment;

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the latching mechanism shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a front view of a walk-in tub door having a latchingmechanism in accordance with a second embodiment;

FIG. 12 is an exploded view of an upper latching assembly of thelatching mechanism shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is an exploded view of a lower latching assembly of the latchingmechanism shown in FIG. 11; and

FIG. 14A is a cross-sectional view of a seal in accordance with oneembodiment for use with the walk-in tub illustrated in FIG. 1.

14B is a cross-sectional view of a seal in accordance with anotherembodiment for use with the walk-in tub illustrated in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For purposes of the description hereinafter, the terms “upper”, “lower”,“right”, “left”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “lateral”,“longitudinal”, and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention asit is oriented in the drawing figures. However, it is to be understoodthat the invention may assume alternative variations and step sequences,except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to beunderstood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in theattached drawings, and described in the following specification, aresimply exemplary embodiments of the invention. Hence, specificdimensions and other physical characteristics related to the embodimentsdisclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a walk-in tub 10 includes a tub frame 20 that issurrounded by a plurality of cover panels 30 for covering the tub frame20. The tub frame 20 is generally defined by a plurality of uprightwalls 40 extending from a floor 50 to define an interior cavity 60. Thewalls 40 and the floor 50 are desirably formed to create a unitary,monolithic tub structure. A drain 70 is provided in the floor 50 fordraining water from the interior cavity 60. A seat 80 is formed withinthe interior cavity 60 to define a sitting location within the tub 10.The tub 10 is formed from a waterproof material that is sanitary andresistant to corrosion. In one embodiment, the tub 10 is made fromacrylic. In other embodiments, the tub 10 may be made from fiberglass,ceramic, metal, or other material. One of ordinary skill in the art willunderstand that various other materials may be used for manufacturingthe tub 10.

A faucet 90 is provided for introducing water into the interior cavity60 of the tub 10. A plurality of water flow controls 100 is alsoprovided to allow the user to adjust the flow rate and temperature ofthe water. The tub 10 is also provided with a shelf 110 for retainingvarious bathing accessories, such as soap, shampoo, and the like. Insome embodiments, walls 40 of the tub 10 may have a grab bar (not shown)for providing a convenient gripping surface during ingress into the tub10 and egress from the tub 10.

With continuing reference to FIGS. 1-4, the tub 10 further includes adoor frame 120 provided in at least one of the walls 40. In theembodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, the door frame 120 extends through a wall40 provided on one side of the tub 10. The door frame 120 is desirablymolded into the wall 40 such that the door frame 120 is an integral partof the structure of the tub 10. The door frame 120 defines a doorway foringress into the interior cavity 60 or egress therefrom. A sealing face130 is defined around the perimeter of the door frame 120. The sealingface 130 is adapted for sealingly engaging a door 140 that encloses theinterior cavity 60 of the tub 10. The sealing face 130 is orientedtoward the interior cavity 60 of the tub 10 and provides a strikesurface that prevents the door 140 from opening away from the tub 10.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a front cover panel 210 is provided on theexterior side of the tub 10 to conceal the tub frame 20. The cover panel210 includes a recess defining a doorway 220 that corresponds to thedoor frame 120 on the tub 10. The cover panel 210 is desirably made fromthe same material as the tub 10. In one embodiment, the cover panel 210is removably attachable to the tub 10 using a plurality of clips 230provided on a back side of the cover panel 210 that faces the tub 10.The tub 10 may include a plurality of corresponding clip receivers (notshown) to receive the clips 230.

Referring back to FIGS. 3 and 4, the door 140 is hingedly attached tothe door frame 120 such that the door 140 may be moved between a closedposition (FIG. 3) and an open position (FIG. 4). In a closed position,the door 140 is pressed against the sealing face 130 of the door frame120 to create a watertight connection and prevent water from leakingfrom the interior cavity 60 of the tub 10. Rotating the door 140 to theopen position moves the door 140 away from the sealing face 130 and intothe interior cavity 60 of the tub 10. In the open position, a user mayenter the tub 10 through the door frame 120.

With reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, and with continuing reference to FIGS.3 and 4, the door 140 is mounted to the door frame 120 with a hinge 150.One part of the hinge 150 is fixed to the door 140 and the other part isfixed to the door frame 120 to permit the door 140 to swing between theopen position and the closed position. Bolts 160, or other fasteners,may be used to secure the hinge 150 to the door frame 120 and the door140. The door 140 further includes a seal 170 disposed around aperimeter of the door 140 for sealing the door 140 against the sealingface 130 when the door 140 is in the closed position. The seal 170 isprovided at the interface between the door 140 and the sealing face 130such that the seal 170 is at least partially compressed between the door140 and the sealing face 130 when the door 140 is in the closedposition. The structure of the seal 170 will be described hereafter withreference to FIGS. 14A-14B.

With continuing reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the door 140 includes afirst portion 180 and a second portion 190 defining a door cavity 200therebetween. In one embodiment, the first portion 180 is provided onthe side of the door 140 that faces the interior cavity 60 of the tub,while the second portion 190 is provided on the side of the door 140that faces the tub exterior. The door 140, including the first portion180 and the second portion 190, is desirably made from the same materialas the tub 10. In one embodiment, the door 140 is made from acrylic. Inother embodiments, the door 140 may be manufactured from fiberglass,metal, plastic, or any other suitable material.

FIGS. 7 and 8 further illustrate a latching mechanism 240 operablebetween a latching position and an unlatching position. The latchingmechanism 240 is operated to a latching position when the door 140 is ina closed position, thereby securing the door 140 against the sealingface 130 and preventing water from leaking from the interior cavity 60.In an unlatching position, the latching mechanism 240 unlocks the door140 from the closed position, thereby permitting the door 140 to bemoved to the open position. The latching mechanism 240 is operated by ahandle 250 provided on the first portion 180 or the second portion 190.In one embodiment, the handle 250 may be provided on both the firstportion 180 and the second portion 190 of the door 140.

Movement of the handle 250 causes the latching mechanism 240 to beoperable between the latching position and the unlatching position. Thehandle 250 is rotatably connected to a plate 260 having a plurality ofrods 270 pivotally connected to the plate 260. Rotation of the handle250 causes the plate 260 to rotate such that the plurality of rods 270is moved in a linear manner. The rods 270 are connected to the plate byfasteners 280 that allow the rods 270 to pivot about a connection pointwith the plate 260 without being disconnected therefrom. As shown inFIGS. 7 and 8, one of the rods 270 extends in a substantially verticaldirection along a first axis while the other rod 270 extends in asubstantially horizontal direction along a second axis. The rods 270extend through the door 140 and are movable past the outside perimeterof the door 140. In one position, such as when the latching mechanism240 is in an unlatched position, the rods 270 are withdrawn inside thedoor cavity 200 to permit the door 140 to open. In a second position,such as when the latching mechanism 240 is operated to a latchingposition, the rods 270 are moved to extend outside the door cavity 200in order to lock the door 140 within the door frame 120.

With continuing reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, and with reference to FIGS.9 and 10, rods 270 terminate in a latching pin 290 that is slidable in alinear manner with the movement of the rods 270. The latching pin 290desirably has a tapered point 300 (shown in FIGS. 9 and 10). When door140 is moved to the closed position such that the sealing face 130 abutsthe perimeter of the door 140, the door 140 may be locked in the closedposition by operating the handle 250 to move the latching mechanism 240in the latching position. Such movement of the latching mechanism 240causes the rods 270 to move in a linear manner away from the interior ofthe door cavity 200. Movement of the rods 270 causes the latching pin290 to extend outside the door 140 and to engage a pin receiver 310 onthe door frame 120. The pin receiver 310 may be fastened to the doorframe 120, or it may be molded into the door frame 120. The pin receiver310 includes a central opening 320 sized to receive the latching pin290. A corresponding pin guide 330 may be provided on the door 140 toguide the latching pin 290 toward the pin receiver 310.

With reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, the tapered point 300 of the latchingpin 310 provides a mechanical advantage in closing the door 140 andmaintaining the door 140 in the closed position. The tapered point 300guides the latching pin 290 into the central opening 320 of the pinreceiver 310, thereby urging the door 140 to the closed position andcompressing the seal 170 between the door 140 and the sealing face 130on the door frame 120. The tapered point 300 is desirably shaped as toguide the latching pin 290 into the central opening 320 of the pinreceiver 310.

With reference to FIG. 11, a latching mechanism 400 is shown inaccordance with a second embodiment. The latching mechanism 400 isoperable between a latching position and an unlatching position. Thelatching mechanism 400 is operated to a latching position when the door140 is in a closed position, thereby locking the door 140 against thesealing face 130 and preventing water from leaking from the interiorcavity. In an unlatching position, the latching mechanism 400 unlocksthe door 140 from the closed position, thereby permitting the door 140to be moved to the open position. The latching mechanism 400 is operatedby a handle 410 provided on an inside portion of the door 140.

Movement of the handle 410 causes the latching mechanism 400 to beoperable between the latching position and the unlatching position. Thehandle 410 is rotatably connected to a cam plate 420 having a rod 430pivotally connected to the cam plate 420. Rotation of the handle 400causes the cam plate 420 to rotate such that the rod 430 is moved in alinear manner. In one position, such as when the latching mechanism 400is in an unlatched position, the rod 430 is withdrawn inside the doorcavity 200. In a second position, such as when the latching mechanism400 is operated to a latching position, the rod 430 is moved to extendoutside the door cavity 200.

With continuing reference to FIG. 11, the latching mechanism 400includes an upper latching assembly 440 (shown in greater detail in FIG.12) and a lower latching assembly 450 (shown in greater detail in FIG.13). Referring to FIG. 12, the upper latching assembly 440 includes ahousing case 460 that is secured to the door 140. The housing case 460supports a backing plate 470 and the cam plate 420 having an upperlatching pin 480 secured thereon. The upper latching pin 480 extendsthrough an upper pin guide 490 of the housing case 460. Handle 410(shown in FIG. 111) is connected to a shaft 500 that is operativelyconnected to the cam plate 420 such that rotation of the shaft 500causes a corresponding rotation of the cam plate 410. A spring 510provides a biasing force on the cam plate 420 to return the handle 410to its default position. The upper latching pin 480 desirably has atapered point 580 at its terminal end. The tapered point 580 isdesirably shaped as to guide the latching pin 480 into the centralopening of the upper pin guide 490.

Referring to FIG. 13, the lower latching assembly 450 includes a bottombracket assembly 520 that is secured to the inside portion of the door140. The lower portion of the rod 430 (shown in FIG. 11) is connected toa lower latching pin 530 by a fastener 540. The lower latching pin 530is disposed within the bottom bracket assembly 520 and is movablerelative to a lower pin guide 550. The lower latching assembly 450further includes a roll pin 560 extending through the lower latching pin530 to engage a lower spring 570 when the lower latching pin 530 isextended to a latching position. The lower latching pin 530 desirablyhas a tapered point 590 at its terminal end.

When door 140 is moved to the closed position, the door 140 may belocked in the closed position by operating the handle 410 to move thelatching mechanism 400 in the latching position. The tapered points 580,590 of the upper and lower latching pins 480, 530, respectively, providean inclined-plane mechanical advantage in closing the door 140 andmaintaining the door 140 in the closed position. The tapered points 580,590 guide the latching pins 480, 530 into a central opening of the pinreceiver provided on the door, thereby drawing the door 140 closed andcompressing the seal between the door 140 and the sealing face 130 onthe door frame 120. The tapered points 580, 590 are desirably shaped asto guide the upper and lower latching pins 480, 530 into the opening ofthe pin receiver. Alternatively, or in addition, the pin receiver mayhave a tapered surface to guide the latching pins 480, 530.

With reference to FIG. 14A, a cross sectional view of the seal 170 isillustrated in combination with a seal retainer 340. The seal retainer340 is secured to the outside perimeter of the door 140 or it may beintegrally formed with the door 140. In one embodiment, the sealretainer is formed as a groove on the door 140 to provide a guide forthe installation of the seal 170. The seal retainer 340 is desirablyprovided on the side of the door 140 that engages the sealing face 130,such as illustrated in FIG. 4. In order to provide a watertightconnection between the door 140 and the sealing face 130 of the tub 10,the seal retainer 340 is provided along the entire interface between thedoor 140 and the sealing face 130. In one embodiment, the seal retainermay be provided on the sealing face 130 and the door 140 may be pressedagainst the sealing face 130 to compress the seal 170. The seal 170 maybe secured within the seal retainer 340, such as by an adhesive bond.

With continuing reference to FIG. 14A, the seal retainer 340 receives afirst portion 350 of the seal 170. The seal 170 further includes asecond portion 360 that is compressible between the door 140 and thesealing face 130 of the tub 10. The second portion 360 of the seal 170includes a plurality of hollow cavities that are compressible when thedoor 140 is in the closed position. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 14A,a larger central cavity 370 is flanked by two smaller lateral cavities380 provided on the exterior of the central cavity 370. The centralcavity 370 and the lateral cavities 380 are compressible between a fullyextended shape when the door 140 is in the opened position and the seal170 is decompressed and a collapsed shape when the door 140 is in theclosed position and the seal 170 is compressed. In one embodiment, theseal 170 is made from an elastic material, such as rubber or silicone.Other flexible and resilient materials may be used to create thewatertight connection between the door 140 and sealing face 130.

FIG. 14B illustrates another embodiment of the seal 170. The seal 170has a base 600 having one or more barbs 610 configured for beingreceived within a seal retainer 340. The seal 170 further includes asecond portion 620 that is compressible between the door 140 and thesealing face 130 of the tub 10. The second portion 620 of the seal 170includes a hollow cavity 630 that is compressible between the door 140and the sealing face 130 when the door 140 is in the closed position.The hollow cavity 630 is compressible between a fully extended shapewhen the door 140 is in the opened position and a collapsed shape whenthe door 140 is in the closed position.

Having described the walk-in tub 10 and the door assembly for thewalk-in tub 10, a method of operation of the door assembly will now bedescribed. Prior to entering the interior cavity 60 of the tub 10, auser first rotates the handle 250, 410 to ensure that the latchingmechanism 240, 400 is in the unlatched position such that the door 140can be swung open into the interior cavity 60. After opening the door140 to allow ingress, the user may step into the interior cavity 60 ofthe tub 10. The door 140 is then moved to the closed position byswinging the door 140 toward the sealing face 130 of the door frame 120.As the door 140 nears the sealing face 130, the seal 170 contacts thesealing face 130. Continued movement of the door 140 toward the sealingface 130 causes the seal 170 to be compressed. The user turns the handle250 to activate the latching mechanism 240, 400 and close the door 140to create a watertight connection between the door 140 and the sealingface 130 of the door frame 120. Engaging the latching mechanism 240, 400into the latching position causes the rods 270, 430 to extend away fromthe door cavity. Linear movement of the rods 270, 430 causes thelatching pins 290, 480, 530 to engage the central opening of the pinreceiver such that the door 140 is further drawn toward the sealing face130. This causes the seal 170 to be compressed even further, therebyestablishing a watertight connection that prevents leakage of water fromthe interior cavity 60 outside the tub 10.

While various embodiments of the walk-in tub door assembly were providedin the foregoing description, those skilled in the art may makemodifications and alterations to these embodiments without departingfrom the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, it is to beunderstood that this disclosure contemplates that, to the extentpossible, one or more features of any embodiment can be combined withone or more features of any other embodiment. Accordingly, the foregoingdescription is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Theinvention described hereinabove is defined by the appended claims andall changes to the invention that fall within the meaning and the rangeof equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

What is claimed is:
 1. A door assembly for a walk-in tub, the doorassembly comprising: a door having a first portion and a second portiondefining a cavity therebetween, the door being adapted for movementbetween an open position opening into an interior cavity of the walk-intub and a closed position; a hinge for hingedly connecting the door tothe walk-in tub, the hinge being adapted for moving the door between theopen position and the closed position; a seal disposed around aperimeter of the door for sealing the door against the walk-in tub whenthe door is in the closed position; and a latching mechanism disposedbetween the first portion and the second portion, the latching mechanismoperable between a latching position and an unlatching position.
 2. Thedoor assembly of claim 1, wherein the latching mechanism includes atleast one latching pin that is slidable to engage a corresponding pinreceiver in the latching position and disengage from the pin receiver inthe unlatching position.
 3. The door assembly of claim 2, wherein thelatching pin has a tapered end for partially engaging the pin receiverwhen the door in a partially closed position to urge the door to theclosed position by fully engaging the pin receiver.
 4. The door assemblyof claim 1, wherein the latching mechanism further comprises a handleoperative for moving the latching mechanism between the latchingposition and the unlatching position.
 5. The door assembly of claim 4,wherein the handle is rotatably connected to the latching mechanism byone or more rods.
 6. The door assembly of claim 5, wherein rotationalmovement of the handle causes a substantially linear movement of therods.
 7. The door assembly of claim 5, wherein the rods actuate the atleast one latching pin between the latching position and the unlatchingposition.
 8. The door assembly of claim 1, wherein the seal includes afirst portion connected to the door and a second portion extending awayfrom the door.
 9. The door assembly of claim 8, wherein the secondportion of the seal has a plurality of hollow cavities that arecompressible when the door is in the closed position.
 10. The doorassembly of claim 1, wherein, in the open position, the door extendsaway from a door frame and into the interior cavity of the walk-in tub.11. A walk-in tub comprising: a tub frame having a plurality of wallsextending from a floor to define an interior cavity of the tub; a doorframe extending through one or more of the walls, the door frame adaptedfor providing a doorway for ingress into the interior cavity of the tuband egress from the interior cavity of the tub; a sealing face providedon the door frame and facing the interior cavity of the tub; a doorhaving a first portion and a second portion defining a cavitytherebetween, the door being adapted for movement between an openposition away from the door frame and into the interior cavity of thetub and a closed position toward the door frame and away from theinterior cavity of the tub; a hinge for hingedly connecting the door tothe doorway, the hinge being adapted for moving the door between theopen position and the closed position; a seal disposed around aperimeter of the door for sealing the door against the sealing face whenthe door is in the closed position; and a latching mechanism disposedbetween the first portion and the second portion, the latching mechanismoperable between a latching position and an unlatching position.
 12. Thewalk-in tub of claim 11, wherein the latching mechanism includes atleast one latching pin that is slidable to engage a corresponding pinreceiver in the latching position and disengage from the pin receiver inthe unlatching position.
 13. The walk-in tub of claim 12, wherein thepin receiver is provided on the door and the door frame.
 14. The walk-intub of claim 12, wherein the latching pin has a tapered end forpartially engaging the pin receiver when the door in a partially closedposition to urge the door to the closed position by fully engaging thepin receiver.
 15. The walk-in tub of claim 13, wherein the latchingmechanism further comprises a handle operative for moving the latchingmechanism between the latching position and the unlatching position. 16.The walk-in tub of claim 15, wherein the handle is rotatably connectedto the latching mechanism by one or more rods.
 17. The walk-in tub ofclaim 16, wherein rotational movement of the handle causes asubstantially linear movement of the rods.
 18. The walk-in tub of claim14, wherein the rods actuate the latching pin between the latchingposition and the unlatching position.
 19. The walk-in tub of claim 11,wherein the seal includes a first portion connected to the door and asecond portion extending away from the door.
 20. The walk-in tub ofclaim 19, wherein the second portion of the seal has a plurality ofhollow cavities that are compressible when the door is in the closedposition.